


Scarlet Locks

by ketchupbabey



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Crushes, Dirty Thoughts, Drunkenness, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Masturbation, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Pining, Short Chapters, Smut, Time Skips, Weight Issues, but a love triangle, not really a love triangle, someone else is interested in harper :O
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24939340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ketchupbabey/pseuds/ketchupbabey
Summary: Her hair was the first thing to draw Elliott's attention, and since then, it had been her ability to avoid him everywhere he went. He considered her to be a kindred spirit and actively sought her friendship, but judging by the way that she acted, that seemed to be the last thing she wanted from him.
Relationships: Elliott (Stardew Valley)/Original Character(s), Elliott (Stardew Valley)/Original Female Character(s), Elliott/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Elliott/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 59





	1. Elusive

**Author's Note:**

> i've been so in love with the concept of elliott crushing on the new farm girl
> 
> this is my first fic so pls be kind c:

Elliott sighed as he leaned against the bridge railing. He closed his eyes and basked in the sunlight, letting it warm his tired bones. He had been spending the better half of his days fighting writer’s block and hunched over his desk, so a break was needed. As he relaxed, he thought about his situation. He had been in the Valley for a year now and had made little to no progress on his novel. Elliott huffed in frustration and ran his fingers through his hair. If he couldn’t begin to make headway on the novel, he would no longer have a reason to stay in Pelican Town. His savings would run dry and he would have to move back to Zuzu for work. The thought scared him.

He shuffled a little and stood up straight, crossing his arms. He glanced to his left towards town at the sign of movement. The sight of her caused him to double-take.

Strong legs were followed by moderately-sized hips; the slight curve of her waist and ample breasts were framed by broad shoulders that tilted forward, suggesting insecurity shyness. She wore a turtleneck sweater and skinny jeans that hid her chubbiness and flattered her figure. What truly grabbed his attention, however, were the thick, scarlet curls that fell across her shoulders and dangled around her face. She seemed to be searching for something, and she looked rather uncomfortable doing it. Elliott hummed to himself and decided that he must get a closer look at the girl as soon as possible, his curiosity getting the better of him.

He started towards her and straightened his coat. Once she spotted him, she seemed to stiffen and began to pick her fingers, not knowing where to look. If she had a shell, she’d be hidden in it right now.

He approached her and smiled, extending his hand. “Hello, may I help you? I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Elliott.”

She looked up at him and took his hand. “It’s nice to meet you... I’m Harper. I just moved onto the old farm.”

Yoba, was her name fitting. Her voice was soft and lilted, containing an almost musical quality. He wanted to hear it again.

He brought her hand up and bent over to kiss it, meeting it halfway. He wanted to seem as gentlemanly as possible. He met her eyes. “Harper. It truly is a pleasure. What brings you to Pelican Town?”

He noticed the blush that dusted her cheeks and blushed a bit himself. Her features were soft yet angular, and the freckles that sprinkled her face gave her a youthful quality. She looked at him with large grey eyes that were slightly obstructed by curls, her blonde eyelashes long enough to be clearly visible. She harbored a hidden beauty, the likes of which he had never seen before. He gulped and stood, letting go of her hand.

“I inherited my granddad’s farm and decided that it would make for a much more peaceful living than my marketing position at Joja, I guess. Um. Do you know which of these buildings is Pierre’s? I’m a bit lost.”

“Ah! Of course. Right this way,” he said and extended his arm in the direction of the general store, stepping to lead the way. He was surprised at her openness.

He held the door open to Pierre’s and grinned, “Here you go.”

She gave him a small smile before starting inside. “Thanks. It was really nice to meet you.”

“And you as well. If you need help again, I live in the cabin on the beach. You are welcome at any time.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you around, Elliott.”

She stepped inside and he closed the door behind her. He grinned and made his way across the town square towards the beach. Inspiration had suddenly hit him.

…

Elliott rolled the duck feather quill between his fingers. He had in fact _not_ seen her around. It had been three months since that day, and she had yet to show her face in town. Well, whenever he was in town, at least. She hadn’t even shown up to the Egg Festival or the Flower Dance, much to Elliott’s disappointment. The well of inspiration she had sparked within him had finally run dry, and before he knew it he found himself searching for her everywhere he went. She had piqued his interest and he grew more curious with each passing week that she eluded him. He understood her fear. Just over a year ago, he had been the lonely newcomer. He had also remained in his shack for the first month or so of living in the Valley. At least he had made friends with Leah and Willy since then, but he did find himself longing for more than just passing conversations with familiar people. He longed for someone to spend valuable time with. 

Perhaps he could kindle a friendship with Harper. He did want to learn more about her, so it wouldn’t hurt to try. That is, if he ever saw her again. Had he even met her in the first place? Perhaps that was some sort of fever dream.

He lifted his head from where he sat at his desk. He’d seek her out this week to see how she and the farm were coming along. He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of voices and shuffling outside. Confused, he pulled on his coat and stepped outside to find himself in the middle of a sea of commotion. He looked over to the other side of the beach to see a giant pot of food being prepared along with several tables being set up.

Elliott sighed. He’d forgotten about the Luau. 

He changed into swim trunks and an unbuttoned dress shirt and set out to help prepare the party. Afterward, Elliott plopped down into a beach chair alongside Leah and struck up a small conversation. They discussed their current projects and their respective troubles. He appreciated the friendship that they shared. She and Willy had been the first townsfolk to reach out to Elliott upon his arrival in the Valley.

While laughing at a snide comment from Leah, he looked up and saw a familiar head of hair. He immediately poured all of his attention into watching her every move while pretending to listen to Leah’s story. 

Harper had put her hair into a large bun on the top of her head and was wearing a yellow t-shirt and some overalls that were rolled up to her knees. She was in a hurry, kicking off her rubber farm boots to run barefoot through the sand towards the pot, eager to add to the soup. Once she stirred her ingredient in, she stepped down and wiped her brow.

“Whatcha starin’ at?”

Elliott was startled out of his trance by Leah nudging him with her elbow. He turned to find her wiggling her eyebrows at him and clicking her tongue. 

He felt heat rise to his cheeks with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and combed his fingers through his hair to distract himself. “I was not staring…”

“Sure you weren’t.” Leah rolled her eyes. 

“I am just surprised to see her here. I haven’t seen her since the day she moved to town. I wasn’t staring..” Elliott looked away, growing more flustered.

“Nobody has seen ‘er. Apparently she’s been focusing all ‘er energy on restoring that farm of ‘er’s.” Willy interjected. Apparently he had been standing behind them the whole time, enjoying Leah’s teasing with a beer in hand.

The three looked over to Harper once again. She was now standing in the water, watching the horizon as the waves hit her shins.

“Go talk to her, Elliott. She’s all alone.” Leah smiled at him kindly.

“She could probably use a friend.” Willy patted his shoulder in reassurance.

He looked at the two and smiled. He then took a deep breath before standing up and walking towards the farmer.

She had been picking her fingers again. _Must be a nervous habit,_ Elliott thought. He walked behind her and hesitated. Why was he nervous? He wasn’t usually nervous around strangers, especially women. Why now?

He took a quick glimpse back at his friends who silently cheered him on. Just as he turned back, he heard a small splash and the girl in front of him cursed.

“Shit!”

Suddenly, her ass bumped against his groin. Hard. Elliott bit his lips shut and backed away quickly. _Shit,_ he thought. He hadn’t realized just how close he had been standing to her when she bent over to pick up whatever he had dropped. Why was he standing so close? _Idiot_ , he cursed himself. 

“I’m so sorry!” Harper turned, face beet red and startled, but it wasn’t long before she turned forward again. She quickly fell to her knees in search of whatever she had dropped.

“No, no, no…” She panicked, reaching into the water and feeling around the sand frantically.

Elliott got to his knees to assist. “What did you drop? I’ll help you.”

“My glasses. I was fiddling with them and I dropped them in the water. They’re silver wireframes and I guess they’re blending in because I can’t fucking find them.” Her voice raised and shook.

Elliott was surprised at her vulgarity, but laid a hand on her back and reassured her. “Harper, Harper. It will be okay. I’ll help you find them.”

Together they sifted through the sand along the shallows until the glasses were found a few minutes later.

“Here they are!” Elliot cried, holding the oval glasses out to her.

“Thank Yoba you found them!” She examined them, noting just a few scratches on the lenses from the sand. She rubbed them clean on the sleeve of her shirt before putting them on. She smiled bashfully. “Guess that teaches me to actually leave them on my face.”

Elliott returned the smile as the two of them stood, but it quickly faded into a frown the minute he saw her clothes. She had ignored her lack of swimwear to try to find the glasses and now her entire lower half was soaked with seawater. 

“Oh no…” Harper sounded utterly defeated, looking down at herself. “I got too caught up in the moment.”

Wanting to help, Elliott looked back towards the Luau and tried to come up with ideas. During their panic, they had missed the initial tasting and the entire town was either seated on the complete opposite side of the beach or on the thatch dancefloor. Even Willy and Leah had left.

“I need to go home and change now. This sucks.” She spoke mostly to herself, voice returning to its quiet quality.

“And walk the four miles to the farm and back in wet jeans? I cannot imagine anything worse. Are you close friends with any women in town whose clothes you could borrow?”

She immediately seemed to retreat back into that shell. “No. I’m not friends with anybody here.”

Elliott detected a tinge of sadness in her voice and immediately felt sympathy for the poor girl. “Here. If you don’t mind, I would like to help you once more.”

She blushed and nodded after a moment of hesitation. He held out his arm and she took it gingerly. Elliott led her towards his shack, making sure nobody watched so that they wouldn’t get the wrong idea. He opened the door for her and entered after her.


	2. False Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little backstory for our farmer!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note that when she plays steal me, she is skipping the recit and starts at the actual aria! i know the recit is basically half of this one, but w/e

“Let me grab you something to change into and I’ll wash these clothes for you. Just step into the bathroom right over there.” He gestured to a small bathroom in the corner of the room before walking over to his dresser to dig through it. He grabs a green sweatshirt and a pair of boxers and hands them to her.

“I-I’m not sure about this..”

“Please, I would hate for you to walk all that way back in heavy, wet clothes. You could get a rash of sorts, or fall ill. I would hate for you to fall ill.” He pleaded with her and motioned the clothes towards her once again. She took them and slowly walked towards the bathroom. “I’ll take your wet clothes from you and put them in the washing machine.”

She nodded and closed the door behind her. Elliott took this as a chance to change out of his own clothes. While slipping out of his wet swim trunks, he tried to not think about the woman getting equally naked in his bathroom or how her ass felt rubbing against him just ten minutes ago, despite how brief the moment was. His thoughts swarmed and he suddenly felt heat pooling in his groin, his member growing hard. Embarrassed and ashamed of his sudden arousal, Elliott put on a pair of tight slacks to restrict his erection, then moved to button the dress shirt he had been wearing. He sat and exhaled loudly, closed his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair. He thought of any and every disgusting thing that his imagination could muster in order to kill his arousal.

However, the attempt was in vain. As soon as Harper stepped out of the bathroom wearing his clothes, instinct seemed to take over and the familiar ache returned. He crossed his legs to hide any evidence of an erection. Now that he got a good look at her, she seemed...smaller? Had she lost weight during her three-month absence? It made sense, he thought. She was adjusting to long days of manual labor. His shirt looked much looser than he expected, while his boxers hugged her muscular thighs. He gulped.

Harper held her wet clothes out to him and crossed her ankles, swaying a bit as she balanced. She was nervous and unable to really stand still. He felt guilty for having put her in this situation, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he had only gotten lucky and that she would not have accepted help from anyone else. He truly did not want her walking back in those wet clothes.

He realized that he had left her waiting and jumped to his feet, praying that she couldn’t see the evidence of his arousal, and took her clothes.

“I really appreciate this.” She spoke as she looked at the floor. He hoped that her shyness was not due to his body’s obvious betrayal.

“I am always happy to help. I will have these finished as soon as possible.” He nodded at her and walked to his washer-dryer, throwing her clothes inside with a small amount of detergent and turning the machine on.

He turned to see her still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

“Please, take a seat wherever you’d like! I know the options are limited, but I would hate for you to be uncomfortable. Would you like any tea?”

“No thank you, I’m not a huge fan of tea. Do you have any water?”

“Of course!” He smiled at her and turned to a small water cooler he kept in the corner next to his desk. He poured her a small glass and handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she said, taking a large sip. She then pointed to the piano and asked, “May I?”

“Go right ahead. You play?” He grinned at her. She took a seat at the bench and he sat at his desk, facing her.

That familiar blush dusted her cheeks. “Well, I don’t know any sonatas or anything.” She smiled a small smile and looked over to him. “I know accompaniments to pieces I performed back in college, and some are beautiful enough to stand alone without the voice.”

“Ah, another musician in town. You would probably get along very well with Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian. They play in a band.” Before she had a chance to reply, he interrupted. “Wait, back in college? How old are you?” He was confused. She had to have been no older than twenty-one. She seemed so young.

Harper chuckled. “I’m twenty-five. I graduated from college three years ago. And I don’t think so. It’s not like I dislike their music scene, it’s just that I don’t sing contemporary music. It isn’t my strong suit.”

Elliott tilted his head. “Not your strong suit? Did you mean that you sing classically?” He felt excitement bubbling in his chest. He had yet to meet somebody else in this town that enjoyed classical music, and now he finally discovered something they had in common. He now had an excuse to spend time with her. Also, she was only a year younger than him? How much better could this get?

“I do.” She laughed at his shocked expression.

“I apologize for my previous assumptions! I must admit that I had yet to actually meet somebody with the same musical taste as myself.”

“Well, here I am.” She smiled and put her hands in position on the piano. “Do you play, or is this here for decoration?” she teased.

“I know a few etudes. Playing is the only recreational activity I allow myself in between writing sessions.”

She struck a soft chord on the piano, slowly beginning the accompaniment to a piece. “I had a feeling you were something like a writer. Tell me more.”

His heart beat loudly in his ears. It had been so very long since the last time he had met a true kindred spirit. In fact- had he ever met one? He couldn’t remember. She was all he could think about right now.

“I write poetry and sonnets when creativity strikes, but what I’m currently focusing on is a novel. Being an author has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. My novel is the reason I moved here to begin with.”

She continued playing as they spoke. “Where’re you from?”

“I am originally from Zuzu City. My parents paid for me to attend all the posh prep schools so that I could work my way into the medical field or something similar. They were crushed when I announced my intention to be an author. They told me that I wouldn’t succeed.”

He realized that he was staring at the photo of his family that he kept on his desk when he heard the music stop. He turned back to Harper to find her gazing at him sadly.

“They’re wrong.”

He smiled. “I do hope so. Thank you for believing in me. What about you? You studied music, and yet you went on to work in marketing?

She picked up her playing again, changing the tune. “I initially majored in music and took classes year-round, even during the summer and winter breaks. I realized that I didn’t have what it takes to be a full-time musician and I switched my major one semester short of graduating. I rushed my marketing degree as well. It was a lot of money wasted.”

“Why do you say that you don’t have what it takes?”

“I guess because I desperately crave stability in my life. Musicians don’t live stable lives. Marketers do. Although, I guess that isn’t very true since I’m a farmer now.” She grinned and chuckled to herself. Elliott chuckled as well.

He stood from his chair at the sound of the washer buzzing and walked over to switch the clothes to the dryer. “Well, know that I support your music. If you would ever like to start again, my piano is always free to use.”

He switched the clothes and turned the machine on before going to sit on the edge of his bed. He laid back, his long legs dangling from the side and his eyes fixated on the ceiling. The two sat in silence for a long while after that, listening only to the sound coming from the piano. Harper changed the tune once again, settling for a piece with slow, romantic chord progressions.

Elliott hummed in recognition. “Steal me.”

Harper fumbled at his words and turned to look at him, her face nearly red enough to match her hair. “I’m sorry?”

“The song. ‘Steal me, sweet thief’ from _The Old Maid and the Thief._ I know this aria.”

Flustered, she spoke quickly before going back to playing. “R-right! Sorry, I was lost in thought I guess. This is one of my favorites.”

“Mine as well.”

She smirked and started the song over. She let herself eventually get lost in the music, humming the melody over her accompaniment.

Elliott let out a content sight and found himself closing his eyes. Before he knew it, he awoke to light shining through the window, warming the cabin. He sat up and looked around, but Harper was nowhere to be found. He stood and checked the dryer. She had taken her clothes and left. He felt a bit sad, but before he allowed it to consume him, he found a note that she had left him on top of the washer.

“Hey, thanks for all the help tonight. I guess my playing couldn’t have been too terrible considering how you conked out so hard. I’ll see you around. :P”

Elliott smiled.


	3. Out of the Comfort Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harper keeps avoiding Elliott, but she doesn't want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i felt that this fic wouldve been pretty hard for me to write if i didnt switch the perspectives every now and then. just trying it out for now. let me know if you guys like it or if i should stick to elliott's pov only!

**Harper’s POV**

Leaves swirled around Harper as she gripped the amaranth stalk, using her scythe to slice near the roots. She grabbed the last plant and added it to a pile of stalks she had just harvested, tying them all together with a bit of twine. She grabbed the fresh bundle and patted a nearby pumpkin before heading towards the southern gate of her farm.

It had been several months since that night that she played music for Elliott. Harper had no real excuse for avoiding him or anyone else for that matter. Everyone had treated her well, but she was too scared to become friends with anybody from the Valley. So, she simply stayed away. She blamed her antisocial behavior on her past failed relationships, how they all called her cold and unfeeling. But Harper didn’t feel that she appeared cold, just... uninterested. It took a lot to make her feel something for someone, and in fact, she felt the complete opposite of cold on the inside. She craved affection and socialization but didn’t know how to express it, so she resigned to only expressing disinterest and the occasional panic when she was uncomfortable with her surroundings.

Harper had genuinely enjoyed her time with Elliott. His gorgeous hazel eyes lit up when she spoke of music, his funny way of talking made her smile, he was kind, and he seemed to enjoy their time together as well. They could become great friends if she actually left her property once and a while, but she was sure that her absence after that tender night had hurt him, and she felt too much guilt to approach him yet. As stupid and bitchy as that was.

She had walked the mile on the forest road to Marnie’s Ranch, amaranth in hand. She opened the door to the shop, walked up to the counter, and set the bundle down.

“Oh goodness! Thank you so much, sweetheart. My cows are going to really love this.” The woman grabbed the bunch and took it over to the next room over, a room filled with wheat and hay bales.

“No problem. I was growing some anyway, so your request came at the perfect time.”

“Here, let me grab your payment.” Marnie walked over to the register and pulled out 500g, putting the money in Harper’s hand.

“Thanks. I’ll be seeing you.” Harper gave the woman a quick smile and walked out of the building, not staying long enough to hear the woman’s goodbyes. The door clicked shut behind her and she began to count the money in her hand.

"Harper!" a voice called.

Her mouth tightened shut and she looked up to see just the man she hadn't wanted to see. Elliott had been sitting on a blanket at the riverbank several meters ahead when he had noticed her leaving. He stood quickly and began to walk towards her. Harper decided to meet him halfway, not wanting to crown Marnie's doorway. She threw on a smile to mask her nerves.

"Hey, Elliott." She smiled 

“Hello, Harper. It’s been quite a while since we last saw each other. How are you faring?” he asked, excitement in his voice.

 _Shit, now I really feel bad,_ Harper thought. _He’s excited to see me?_

“I’m doing pretty good. Uh, my farm has been taking up all my time, so I haven’t really had the chance to get out much. I was just delivering some fresh amaranth to Marnie.” Harper rubbed the back of her neck and looked away, feeling guilty for ghosting him when he had been so nice to her.

“If you aren’t careful, you could overwork yourself, and stress and overexertion can lead to illness. You should take breaks to pursue a hobby or to a recreational activity. I would hate to see you fall ill.” He gazed at her with a concerned look.

She felt her face get hot when he said that. Why should he care if she gets sick? They barely knew each other. She couldn’t decide if he was buttering her up or if he was genuine, but whatever it was, it was definitely working.

“Actually, how about you take a break now? I could use the company. I am also taking a break from my work.” He gestured towards the blanket he had set out.

“Oh.” Harper thought for a moment before replying. Well, she did feel guilty for ghosting him for months, and she did have fun the last time. “Sure, I’d love to.” She smiled.

“Marvelous.” He took her hand, causing butterflies to rise in her chest, and helped her sit. He took a seat beside her, extended his legs in front of him and leaned back on his hands.

The two watched as the wind blew leaves all around them in a myriad of colors, eliciting a sigh from both of them. They looked at each other and chuckled. “Jinx,” Harper said. “So how is your novel coming along?” She sat criss-cross and hunched over with her hands in her overall pockets. It was chilly today, even with a jacket and a sweater.

Elliott shivered himself. “I cannot say that it’s going well, unfortunately. I have an idea for my characters and the story, but I am not sure which genre I would like to focus on.” 

Harper hummed and gave a small nod in response.

“A question… What kind of books do you like, Harper?” He turned to her with a smile.

“I have yet to grow out of the genres I liked when I was younger, so I’m into a lot of dystopian, sci-fi, or fantasy novels. But what I really like is romance. I like to imagine that I’m the woman in those situations. Guess my life is pretty boring” she admitted with a small laugh.

He turned back to the leaves, watching them fall into the river. “Romance, hm? I’ll remember that.

...

They continued to talk about their interests until the sun began to sink across the horizon. “Isn’t autumn the most beautiful time of year?” Harper asked as she gazed at the sunset.

“It is magnificent.” They turned to face each other. She didn’t realize how close they had gotten; they were practically leaning on each other. “You know, Harper, I do enjoy talking with you.”

“I’m sorry, Elliott.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“Because I’ve been avoiding you for months.”

Ouch. She saw that that hurt. He shifted away from her, confusion on his face.

“Let me explain. When you helped me the night of the Luau, it was the first time that I thought I could belong here. When I first arrived, I didn’t think that I would actually make any friends. I expected this move to be another phase.”

Elliott looked at her, listening intently.

“But.. but you were so kind, and we have so much in common. You keep helping me even though you don’t even know me. It makes me feel, just a little bit, like I may have a reason to be here. I avoided you because I was scared of making a friend. I always ruin my relationships, so I thought that maybe if I-”

“Didn’t talk to me for a few months, we would never become friends, so you wouldn’t have something to ruin?” Elliott interrupted.

Harper looked down, ashamed.

“Harper, if you don’t want to be friends with me, all you have to do is say so. I respect you and your decisions.”

“But that’s the thing. I like talking to you and I think I want to be friends with you, but you’re so nice. I don’t want to hurt you.” Harper brought her knees to her chest and laid her head on them so that Elliott wouldn’t see her get emotional. She wasn’t going to cry, but being vulnerable like this was embarrassing enough.

She felt a hand on her back, so she lifted her head to see that Elliott had scooted closer once again and was giving her a comforting smile. “I want to be friends with you too. Discomfort and hurt are normal in any relationship, and if they were to occur in ours, then all we need to do is communicate.”

“I don’t know how to communicate.”

“The concept is rather simple: we inform each other of anything that bothers us about the other’s behavior, or if we hurt each other’s feelings. The execution is much more difficult, I’m afraid.” He chuckled and rubbed her back to soothe her. “But I’m sure that we can manage. I would like to try if you would.” He squeezed her shoulder.

Harper hesitated for a long time before muttering a small “Okay”. Her cheeks turned red and she hid her face again. He pulled her close and continued to rub her back. Elliott grinned and turned back towards the horizon. The two sat like that until the sun disappeared from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> awww, harper made a friend :) im still deciding if i want this to be a slow burn or not. im personally not a fan of rushed romance in other fics, but now i see that it's SUPER hard to not rush the development lmao


	4. Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends hang out and...stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didn't really proofread this a whole lot, so i might go back and edit. hope yall like this one!

**Elliott’s POV**

After that day in the forest, Elliott and Harper had met every Friday at the Stardrop Saloon and were becoming fast friends. It was true that her previous absence did hurt him, especially after they had shared such a wonderful night in his cabin, but she was there now and that was all that mattered to him. Now that the farming season had long since passed and there were several inches of snow on the ground, it was getting more difficult for Harper to make the 2-mile trek into town on Fridays. Gus was letting Elliott borrow his truck every other Friday to drive down to the farm and pick Harper up for saloon night, which just so happened to be today.

He thought about her as he drove down the dirt road that led to the farm. It was obvious that Harper was trying her best to remain emotionally available, but there were days that she went back into that shell. On those days, she seemed to do best just leaning on Elliott. He definitely didn’t mind, and he secretly hoped she’d do it again tonight. He cursed himself for thinking like a teenager every time he was near her; he was a grown man, but she always elicited strange feelings in him that he hadn’t felt for at least a decade. He had felt butterflies in his belly and tightness in his chest, not to mention a tightness in his pants…

Ugh. These boyish urges he felt near her ashamed him. He was a grown man, dammit, and she was a person who didn’t deserve that disrespect. Butterflies were fine, but why all the boners? He truly confused himself. Elliott shook his head. Best not think about that right now. 

He pulled up to the entrance of her farm next to the shipping bin and turned the car off before hopping out of the car and walking over to her porch. He adjusted his gloves before knocking on her front door. Harper opened the door and he was immediately struck by her beauty. Her frizzy scarlet curls draped down and balanced atop the large flannel scarf on her neck. She wore a puffer coat and a thick sweater, her usual overalls, and knit pink gloves hands. She had opted for contacts today, so her eyes seemed bigger than usual and seemed to sparkle at him. His throat felt dry all of a sudden and he cursed himself.

“Hey, Elliott. Ready to go?” She flashed a smile at him that made his knees weak.

He cleared his throat before speaking. “Y-yes.” He smiled and stepped back to let her step out of the house. He held his arm out for her to take and led her to the truck. “Your chariot awaits.” He turned and grinned at her.

She giggled. “You don’t have to say that every time you pick me up, y’know.”

“You have to admit that it is charming.” He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Sure.”

Elliott walked her to the passenger side and opened the door for her before helping her up into her seat. He then walked over to the driver’s side, hopped in, and started the car.

…

The short drive to the saloon was filled with small talk and laughter that continued after they were seated at their table. Elliott ordered their usual wine and ale, as well as a plate of baked fish for himself and eggplant parmigiana for Harper. He joined her at the table with their drinks. 

“For the lady,” he said as he set the glass of wine in front of Harper.

“Thanks!” 

Elliott slipped into his seat. “So, Harper,”

“Hmm?” Harper took a big gulp of her wine.

“Do you plan on attending the Feast of the Winter Star? You have yet to attend a single town event aside from the Luau.” Elliott took a sip of his ale.

“Well, I kinda have to. Lewis assigned me a person to give a gift.”

“You say that as though you wouldn’t be going otherwise.” Elliott raised his eyebrow and took another sip. Emily came by and set their dishes down in front of them, and the two thanked her.

Harper picked up her utensils and began to cut into her eggplant. “I dunno. I still feel funny about how tiny this town is. In Zuzu, things aren’t as tight-knit as this. It feels weird to have everybody all up in my business all the time.” She took a large bite and then took a sip of wine.

Elliott had already cut into his fish and was chewing when Harper finished speaking. He swallowed. “I know what you mean. However, I find the community to be rather charming, and it is kind how everyone seems to care so much. You can’t get something like this in the city.” He continued eating.

Harper threw back the rest of her wine. “Yeah. Guess I haven’t warmed up to everyone yet.” She signaled Gus for a refill.

 _Still a fast drinker,_ Elliott thought and chuckled. “You’ll warm up to them soon enough. Promise me that you will at least consider attending the events next year? I’ll be there with you.”

Gus came by and poured Harper another glass. She blushed at Elliott’s words. “I’ll think about it.”

His heart soared.

**Harper’s POV**

  
  


The two finished eating and continued to talk about nothing in particular for a long time. It was coming on closing time, and while Harper was rather tipsy and lightheaded, Elliott was definitely drunk. Everyone began to leave the bar one by one, and soon the only patrons left were Pam, Shane, Harper, and Elliott. Harper stood and walked over to Elliott, who was laying his head on the table.

“C’mon, buddy. Let me walk you home.”

Elliott furrowed his brows and kept his eyes shut as she lifted his head up. He huffed. “But I’m supposed t’ drive you home,” he slurred. He tried to look up at her but ended up squinting instead, and his heavy head fell to rest on Harper’s belly just below her breasts. Harper’s heart raced, but she kept calm and laughed it off. She brushed his hair with her fingers with one hand and kept the other on his back, rubbing it the way he always did to her. 

“Elliott, you’re way too drunk to drive. There is no way I’m letting you take me home.”

He pouted. “No, YOU’RE too drunk t’ drive.”

“Maybe. But I’ll sober up and walk myself home after I drop you off.”

Her combing was interrupted by Elliott lifting his head up, pulling her closer, and then laying back down on her chest. His hands didn’t leave her waist, and Harper’s thoughts raced. He was a cuddly drunk, but he had never been this cuddly before. Though, to be fair, she had never seen him this drunk before either. She looked down at his face and saw that he looked troubled and had his lips pursed. She smiled at him and held him close, petting his hair back.

“I can’t let you walk back ‘lone,” he continued to pout, “too dangerous. Wha’ kin’a man would that make me?”

Harper continued to try and convince him to let her walk him home, but he refused to budge. She sighed and looked back at Gus, who was signaling for them to head out. She didn’t have time to argue with Elliott, no matter how cute it was.

“Okay...then come home with me. You can sleep on my couch. How about that?” She looked back down at him. 

He smiled and hummed, eyes still shut. “Works for me.”

Harper sat him up once again before crouching down and putting his arm around her shoulder and helping him stand. She kept an arm around his waist and led the wobbly drunk man out of the saloon. As they walked home, Elliott continuously swayed and seemed content on singing a little song to himself. She looked up at him and felt herself become completely smitten.

He was such a beautiful person, and she had been attracted to him since the day they met. She had told herself that it wasn’t worth pursuing, especially since he was so fit and chiseled and she was so...her. He could never like a girl her size, she decided, and so she tried to lock those feelings away. But the more time she spent with him, the more she felt that warmth in her chest bubble and the butterflies in her belly soar. Every back pat and every touch was torture, and they each erupted a heat in her core that was becoming increasingly difficult to bear. With alcohol, those feelings only multiplied, but she did what she had to do to get by. Tonight, she had suppressed those feelings to a dull roar and set her mind on getting Elliott to bed.

They had just passed the bus stop when Elliott stopped singing, looked straight up, and gasped. The sudden sound startled Harper. “What is it, what’s wrong?”

“Oh Harper, look a’ the sky! Stargaze with me!”

Before she had a chance to protest, Elliott was flopping back into the snow and taking her with him. She let out a small scream as she fell, but was silenced by Elliott’s arm as she fell onto it. She lifted her head up and saw what he had been talking about- thousands of stars littered the inky black sky. She gasped as she marveled at the beauty of it all. Elliott moved his arm out from under her and brought it to her hand, holding it. Harper looked at him.

“They look like all yer freckles.” He laughed to himself, and Harper blushed before looking back up to the sky.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, and eventually, Elliott started to complain about being cold. Harper helped him up once again and they continued down the road until they reached the cabin. Harper found that getting Elliott up the porch stairs was the most difficult thing she had ever done in her life. After much effort, she got him up without falling and brought him inside.

“Ahhh...warm.” Elliott waddled over to the fireplace and laid on the rug.

Harper took off her coat, scarf, gloves, and her rubber boots before rushing over to him. “Here, let me get your coat and gloves. They’re wet from the snow.” She sat on her knees, leaned over him, and started to unbutton his coat when he interrupted her.

“W-woah, I didn’t know this was why you asked me t’ come over..” He brought his hands up to her sides, squeezing gently and rubbing one of his thumbs over her belly. He grinned at her.

Harper blushed like mad and pulled his hands away. “Elliott, your clothes are wet and I can’t have you getting sick. I’m not trying to sleep with you. Besides, you’re drunk.”

He pouted again and dropped his hands to his sides. “Fine.”

Harper took Elliott’s wet clothes off one at a time, starting with his coat, only to find out that he was barely wearing any layers and that the snow had gotten his shirt wet as well. Harper sighed and began to unbutton his shirt, but she became distracted by the man’s toned body. When did this man ever have time to work out? Her breath hitched as she unbuttoned to reveal a trail of thick, curly ginger hair leading down into his trousers. Yoba, if only they weren’t drunk right now. He sat up and she slipped the shirt off.

“Okay Elliott, I’m gonna grab a pillow and you can take that fur throw and you can sleep here on the couch. Stand up and take off those wet pants.”

She got up and walked into her room to grab a pillow. When she returned, she found Elliott standing in a pair of tight, black briefs struggling to get his pants off. _I’m not helping with that_ , she thought and gulped. She set the pillow down against the arm of the couch and spread the large fur throw across the cushions.

“There. Your bed is all made.” She looked up just in time to see Elliott hopping on one foot, trying to tug his pants off of the other. He fell with a thud.

Harper walked over and yanked the last of the trousers off before throwing them in her small dryer with his other clothes. Elliott laid back against the wood planks and put his hand over his eyes, trying to catch his breath. Harper gazed down at his tan chest and followed the hair down to his briefs, where she caught a glimpse of a rather large imprint bulging against the tight fabric. Heat roared in her ears and she muttered a quick ‘goodnight’ before rushing into her bedroom and closing the door.

She quickly removed her overalls and changed into her nightshirt before climbing under the thick blankets. The ache between her legs was unbearable, and while it was wrong to fuck a drunk man, it wasn’t necessarily wrong to masturbate to the thought of him. Well, maybe it was if he sat in the other room, but she didn’t care at that point. She laid on her side, facing away from the door, and began to touch herself to relieve the pressure.

She finished quickly and quietly, and she honestly grossed herself out a little bit. With the ache gone, she finally relaxed into the mattress and closed her eyes. She was laying for only a few moments when she heard her door creak open. Quiet footsteps were followed by a weight settling on the mattress behind her.

Her heart stopped as she felt Elliott press into her back, wrapping his legs around hers and burrowing his face around her hair and into the crook of her neck. 

“Harper…” he muttered against her, “You’re so perfect.”

His voice sounded so low and husky. Harper tried to slow her breathing.

“So beautiful...so wonderful..” his voice slowed and got quieter.

“My muse…”

Harper stared wide-eyed at the wall across from her until she knew that Elliott had fallen asleep. The feeling of his body pressed against hers was pure ecstasy, and it took all her strength to calm herself. She reveled in his warmth, trying to memorize everything about him in case she never got this opportunity again. The feel of his strong legs around hers, arms wrapped around her middle, and the heat of his breath against her neck. She felt like she was in heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember that drunk sex is NOT consensual sex!! ;)


	5. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott wakes up in Harper's bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldnt help myself. enjoy!!

**Elliott’s POV**

  
  


Elliott’s eyes cracked open, pressure pounding in his sockets, and he immediately felt icky all over as if he were coated in a thick layer of slime. He carefully lifted his head off the pillow and sat up, and as he gained his vision back, he realized that he was definitely in someone else’s bed. Nearly naked, one might add. Looking around at the log walls and wood flooring, he deduced that he must be in Harper’s cabin. He rummaged through his mind to try and remember anything that could clue him in as to how he got there, but he had zilch. He dropped his head into his hands for a moment before rubbing his face, sighing, and pushing his hair back. Yoba, he hoped that they hadn’t done anything last night. 

He crawled out from under the thick blankets and stepped into the cold, winter air. The fireplace in the main room must’ve been the only source of heat because it was freezing in the bedroom. Elliott shivered and looked at the dresser to find his clothes from the night before neatly folded and waiting for him on top. Next to them, however, was another set of clothes folded and waiting, this time with a note on top. He walked over and picked it up.

_Blizzard came early this morning. Get comfortable and warm with these, because you’re not going anywhere. :P_

He set the letter down and picked up the clothes she had chosen for him, which consisted of a navy college hoodie, a pair of fleece sweatpants, and some large fuzzy socks. The ball of excitement that caught in his throat at the idea of wearing Harper’s clothes was altogether startling and highly confusing. He slipped the clothes on quickly and, despite his efforts to control himself, he brought the collar of the hoodie for a sniff. It smelled just like her- not floral or sweet, but like teakwood and fresh linen. It was a refreshing scent, one he found to be quite relaxing. He looked at himself in the mirror, grimacing at his tangled locks and observing the size of the hoodie. It was quite large, even for him. He remembered that she had been heavier when she first arrived in the Valley, but not that heavy. Had her weight loss really been that drastic?

He noticed a hairbrush sitting on the dresser and reached for it, carefully brushing the knots out of his hair. He was sure Harper wouldn’t mind him using it. Still shivering from the cold, he hurried to the next room where there would be a warm fireplace. Harper seemed to have just finished cooking and was preparing two plates of food at the kitchen counter, oblivious to his presence and singing a song quietly to herself. Elliott gazed at her and took in the sound of her voice; that lilted quality to her speaking voice also made for quite the smooth singing voice and reminded him of a handbell chiming. Warmth spread through his chest and he found himself smiling.

“Good morning, Harper,” he blurted out.

She jumped and turned to face him, blushing. “G-good morning, Elliott.” She grinned at him before turning to grab the plates as well as two mugs, showing them to him. “I went ahead and made us some breakfast.”

He rushed over to take a plate and mug from her so that she didn’t have to set the table all by herself. “I’ll take that. It looks absolutely marvelous.”

“Thanks.” She smiled and they sat their dishes down on the table. “Go ahead and sit down with me.”

The two sat and Elliott marveled at the fluffiness of the pancakes, crispiness of the bacon, and the perfection of the fried eggs before he remembered where he was and the mystery behind his being there.

“Um...Harper?”

“Yeah, Elliott?” She began to take a sip from her mug.

He furrowed his brows and looked at her. “Did we have sex last night?”

Harper choked on her drink and turned redder than a tomato. She coughed into her elbow for a long while and waved her hand at him before speaking. “No! No, we didn’t have sex. We were both too drunk to drive, and you wouldn’t let me walk you home despite you being completely wasted. So I let you stay over at my place. You were supposed to sleep on the couch, but you ended up crawling into bed with me.” She looked down at her plate.

Elliott felt his face and ears burning like fire, yet he froze in place. He crawled into bed with her?! Just how many drinks did he have last night? Yoba, please let that be the only embarrassing thing he did. Yoba, PLEASE tell him that he didn’t confess or do anything stranger than that. His mouth was slightly agape, trying to work out an apology. “I-I…”

Harper lifted her hands up in front of her to reassure him. “No, it’s okay! It was really cold last night, and we had gotten our clothes pretty wet from the snow. It was probably too cold for you with that throw blanket anyways.” 

Ah, so that’s why he was in his underwear. He swallowed. “Harper, I cannot apologize enough for what I did. I assure you, I have no memory of anything that occurred after the third pint of ale last night.”

Her eyes looked straight through him as though her mind were somewhere else, yet her intense blush remained. “No memory of anything? None of it?”

That was weird, but he didn’t have it in him to deal with any more embarrassment right now. He’d ask for the full story later. “No, I’m afraid not.”

She exhaled and finally met his eyes, smiling briefly. “That’s okay. It was mostly me walking you home and putting you to bed. You were pretty hopeless.” She giggled.

He didn’t deserve her. She was too good. “Well, I hope that I can make it up to you.”

“You can make it up to me by eating that breakfast and drinking that coffee.” She smiled and poked her tongue out at him slightly, teasing.

…

Elliott went ahead and did the dishes for Harper while she pulled out a case of various movies that she had on DVD and began to browse through them. He dried his hands before walking over to a window and taking a peek outside.

“Where on earth did this blizzard come from? There’s already an extra foot of snow, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon.” Elliott turned and walked over to the couch.

“Weather report says that it won’t stop snowing until tomorrow night. You’re stuck here tonight at the very least.” Harper glanced up at him before going back to browsing movies on the floor.

Elliott tried not to get too excited at that thought.

“What kind of movies do you like, Elliott?”

“I like movies full of fantasy, adventure, and romance.” He grinned and sat in the corner of the couch, setting his arm across the top and his other on the armrest.

Harper grabbed a disc from the case and popped it into the DVD player. “Lord of the Things it is.” She plopped down on the couch right next to him, falling into place against his side.

Elliott’s breath caught in his throat. _Please don’t betray me_ , he thought at his dick.

Harper perched her legs up onto the couch and settled against him further before pulling her throw blanket over the both of them. “I have a weird thing about taking my blankets off of my bed. You don’t mind, do you? It’s pretty cold in here and the throw can’t reach both ends of the couch, so I thought I’d sit closer.”

Holy Yoba above, what a dream. “S-sure, it is rather chilly in here,” he stuttered.

“So chilly that you froze in place? I can tell that you aren’t comfortable, Elliott. You’re stiff as a board.” She shuffled against him. “C’mon, get comfortable.”

He supposed that he had gotten stiff. He shifted in place, inevitably sliding his hand from the top of the couch to Harper’s shoulders. She looked up at him and smiled, so he figured that it was okay and relaxed a bit.

“There you go. Now let’s get to this movie.” She grabbed the remote and pressed play.

…

By the end of the third installment of the Lord of the Things trilogy, Harper and Elliott were settled on the couch like two puzzle pieces. He laid with his legs extended, Harper nestled between them and laying on his chest. He didn’t know when exactly Harper had become so comfortable being open with him, let alone be this close. They had spent so much time together in the past few months since their evening at the river, and in that time, it was as if Harper had emerged from a chrysalis and was finally coming into her own. Her transformation was truly stunning.

The sun had already set and the fire burned dangerously low, reduced to only a few embers and no longer capable of warming the room.

“I do love those films, they’re some of my favorites. The fire went out just in time, don’t you think? I can go get the next log.”

Before he had the chance to get up from the couch, Harper stopped him. “Actually, that was the last log. I was supposed to chop firewood today, but the blizzard came through so quickly that I never got around to it.

They shivered and cuddled closer together. “I suppose I’m in for a rather cold night here on the couch, then,” Elliott joked.

“What kind of host do you think I am? There’s no way you’re sleeping on the couch when there’s no fire lit nor extra blankets.”

“Then where will I sleep, Harper?” He looked down and blushed at the realization of how close they were. He prayed that she couldn’t hear his heart pounding.

She looked back up at him, head still laying on his chest. “Guess you’re just gonna have to sleep with me again.” She grinned at him that teasing grin he loved so much. Her tongue poking through her teeth was absolutely adorable and never failed to make his heart skip.

He dared to run his hand over her curls, petting her head. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable just for my sake.”

“We slept in the same bed last night, Elliott, and you had way less clothes on then than you do now. I think I’m okay.”

He ceased his petting and cupped her cheek. He brought his lips to her forehead and kissed. “As long as you are comfortable.”

She blushed and patted his chest before sitting up. “I think we accidentally skipped lunch. I’m starving. What would you like for dinner?”

“Anything is fine, really.”

Harper crawled off of the couch onto her feet and off of Elliott’s chest. He suddenly felt lonely. “Okay. I’ve got the stuff to make some calamari, how’s that?”

He grinned and stood up next to her. “Sounds wonderful.”

The two made dinner together and ate quickly, eager to get under some blankets for warmth. The temperature inside the cabin was nearly the same as outside, and they were beginning to see their breath. They tossed the dishes in the sink without washing them and made their way to the bedroom so that they could be safe from the cold under the thickly insulated comforter waiting for them. They crawled in from either side and met in the middle, tangling their limbs as if they had done it a million times.

“Yuck. I hate the feeling of wearing pants and socks to bed. It’s disgusting.” Harper wiggled uncomfortably.

“We have no choice tonight. With no extra blankets, we cannot afford the luxury of sleeping without socks.” Elliott chuckled.

“As soon as this storm disappears, I’m paying Robin to install a heating system. I don’t care how much it costs.” She furrowed her brows grumpily and snuggled her face into his neck, causing heat to grow in a very unwanted place for Elliott.

He prayed to Yoba that she couldn’t feel his growing erection and chuckled again to alleviate some of the pressure he felt building inside his throat. They sat wrapped around each other in silence for a while, and all Elliott could think of was her face in the crook of his neck and her legs wrapped around his, pressing her heat against him. He wanted so badly to be a gentleman and ignore all of the depraved thoughts infecting his mind, and he almost did it. That was, until he felt her legs squeeze his, her groin rock against him slightly, and the hot breath that escaped her lips when she did so.

Maybe he was imagining things. Surely he was too sex-crazed to be thinking straight right now and was jumping to conclusions.

She squeezed him again and shuddered.

Holy shit.

Elliott slipped a hand into Harper’s curls and gently tugged her head back so that he could look into her eyes. He searched for anything that could prove to him that this was real. That she wanted him the same way he wanted her. She gripped the hem of the hoodie and looked at him, red-faced and confused. She seemed to be searching for something in him, too.

It was all the validation he needed. He pulled her face towards him and pressed his lips against hers. She hummed and laid her hands flat across his chest, parting her lips slightly and tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Elliott kissed her slow and deep, wrapping his arms around her body and pressed against her, no longer worried about hiding his erection. They kissed like that until Elliott’s lips were sore, when he pulled back to look at her. Her face was dusted a rosy pink and her lips were parted, red, plump, and panting. Her eyes scanned his face with that same confusion from before.

“What are we doing?” Elliott asked low, nearly a whisper.

“I don’t know.” Harper mumbled in reply.

They gazed into each other, and Elliott’s heart swelled at her beauty. He never thought that he would have the chance to see this side of her, and now that he had, he never wanted to let it go.

“Harper, I…” he trailed off, lost in her gaze.

She gripped his hoodie and held her breath. “Yes?”

“I think I may have feelings for you.” His mouth went dry at his own words.

Harper brought her hand up and cupped his cheek, confusion still lingering. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” Elliott leaned into her touch and smiled sweetly.

“Why?” she whispered with a tinge of sadness. Elliott was immediately concerned.

“How could I not? Harper,” he cupped her cheek as well, “you bewitched me the second I laid eyes on you. I have desperately wanted to learn everything about you. I want to see all of your expressions, experience everything that you have to offer. I want to know every marvelous thought in that brain of yours.” He stroked her cheek before leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her lips.

“Elliott…” she closed her eyes and tears fell. Shit. “Elliott, I don’t know how I feel. I don’t know how you could feel anything for someone who looks as disgusting as me.”

Shock and confusion washed over his face. “I don’t understand. My heart soars every time I so much as catch a glimpse of you. Why would I ever find you disgusting?” He wiped her tears with his thumb.

Harper suddenly scooted out from under him and sat up against the headboard. She cried and gestured to her body. “Look at me, Elliott. I’m huge. I only push people away. I ruin every single relationship I have. I want you so badly that it’s torture, but I don’t trust myself enough to have feelings for you. How could anyone want somebody like me?” She choked on a sob and hid her face in her hands, bringing her knees up to her chest.

She looked so small in the little shell she hid in. So small and so broken, and Elliott felt nothing but anger towards whoever hurt her this terribly. He sat up on his knees and reached for her face, tilting her chin upwards to look at him. Tears stained her cheeks and her nose dripped. His heart ached.

“Aren’t I horrible?” she asked, her words barely a whisper. She looked at him as though she expected him to agree.

He was bewildered. “You are the most magnificent person I have had the pleasure of meeting. You are horribly sweet, but nothing is disgusting about you, my dear. You are not huge,” he leveled with her, making sure to stare her in the eye, “In fact, you appear to shrink smaller and smaller every time I see you. I feel like some sort of giant when you’re in my arms.” He looked at her intensely. “I do not know who told you all of these despicable things, but if I ever find them I am going to knock them into the next century. Do you understand? You are wonderful and you are worthy of love, Harper.”

She got on her knees to hug him and began to sob. He wanted to shelter and protect her from the rest of the world, from anyone and everything that could do her harm. He held her close for several minutes, rubbing her back to comfort her until the sound of her cries disappeared. When she was ready, he wiped her eyes and kissed her again.

“Thank you, Elliott. I still don’t know if I want to stay in the Valley, and I don’t want to hurt you if I leave. I hate having all these conflicting feelings. I just...I feel pretty pathetic. I need time.” She looked at him apologetically.

Elliott felt a pit in his stomach and let her go, wanting to give her the space she requested. “Yes, of course. I apologize.” He gave her a tight-lipped smile and looked down. He had moved far too fast for her and embarrassed himself. Of course. She had distanced herself for a reason, and he was a fool for thinking he could wiggle his way into her heart.

As Elliott was dropping his hands, however, Harper grabbed his arm. “Wait.”

He looked up.

“Please don’t leave me. I need time to sort myself out, but tonight-” she paused and laid a hand against his neck. “Please hold me again. I still want you. I need you.”

Elliott didn’t know what to think. “Are you sure?”

She dragged her hand down his torso. “Being this close drives me crazy. Is that okay? Will you hate me if we do this?” She looked at him, unsure.

“I could never hate you, my dear. I want you, too.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

“Okay.” Harper returned the smile and laid back down, taking him with her. Elliott had no idea if what was about to happen was the right thing to do, but he wanted to make her happy over anything else. Besides, he was grateful just being near Harper. They didn’t have to be in a relationship for him to appreciate her as a person.

A one night stand was questionable, though. Was it wrong to sleep with someone who was so conflicted?

His thought was interrupted by Harper kissing him and reaching down to stroke him through his pants.

Well, maybe it wasn’t too questionable. She seemed pretty sure of herself.

Elliott eagerly returned her kiss and rolled on top of her. While maintaining their embrace, he wiggled out of his bottom layer of clothing to expose himself. Harper pulled away to get a good look at his member, and look she did. In fact, she marveled at him with her mouth agape. 

"How the hell is that supposed to fit inside of me?"

Elliott grinned sheepishly and rubbed his neck, suddenly feeling embarrassed by his nakedness. In an effort to distract the both of them, he slid down her body and pulled away at her clothing one piece at a time. When her underwear was gone, Harper instinctively tried to hide herself, but Elliott pried her knees apart and made his way between them.

He gazed at her, tucked all pink and perfect underneath a mound of blonde curls. It made his dick ache and his mouth water.

He wrapped an arm around her thigh and held it over his shoulder before spreading her folds and diving in to give her clit an experimental lick. She jerked and hummed at the touch, then moaning quietly as Elliott began to suck on the nub. He worked her quickly, focusing on her clit to make her cum while taking a few breaks to lap the juices he desperately wanted to taste. She finally climaxed after he worked two fingers inside of her while he tongued her clit.

He pulled his digits from her and licked them clean before climbing up and kissing her sweetly.

"Still want me?" he asked, his voice low.

"Please," she begged breathlessly.

Elliott then took Harper's legs and settled them over his shoulders, grabbing his shaft and lining it up with her entrance. She exhaled and trembled slightly, looking down to watch as Elliott slowly plunged inside of her.

He hissed and bit his lip while she groaned.

It was unbelievably tight. Too tight. Harper's hot walls were clamping down on him in a way that just screamed 'virgin'. He began to rock his hips slow and shallow to try and stretch her out.

"Harper, you're so tight. You've done this before, correct?" He looked at her with concern.

She hesitated a bit too long for Elliott's liking. "...No."

He had never taken anyone's virginity before, so he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of possessiveness and pride. But also, he could've been more gentle if he had just known. Had he been too rough?

"Harper, you should have told me. I could've been much gentler and I could've tried to make it more special."

"Elliott, this is special to me. I've wanted this-you- for a long time. You could do whatever you wanted to me and I wouldn't care."

Elliott's hips seemed to move on their own at that statement. "That's a tempting offer."

Harper cried out as he thrust into her, his tip pounding into her cervix. He grabbed her hair and pulled her into a rough kiss while he thrust into her hard, his hips slapping against her ass at a steady pace. They broke the kiss and Elliott grabbed her by her hips, pulling her to meet his every movement as he began to speed up. Harper was caught between crying out his name and gasping as he stretched her out to the fullest extent.

He fucked her like that for several moments before letting her hips go and opting to crane over her again, nearing his peak. 

He spoke between sloppy kisses, "Harper, dear, I'm so close." He was panting and trying to conceal his own moaning.

"I want to feel you cum inside." She tangled her fingers in his hair and rested her forehead against his. "Please."

Elliott could hardly wait by the time she replied. Ecstasy washed over his body like a white light as he gripped the sheets and rocked his hips, spilling his seed deep inside of her. 

They remained in that position while they both caught their breath. He leaned down and gave her a long kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, still panting. "That was...amazing. You were amazing." She grinned and kissed him again.

He grinned back. "I've wanted you for quite a long time as well, Harper. Got to give it my best effort."

He pulled out and collapsed on the mattress next to her. She giggled and rolled over onto her side, snuggling into his chest. His heart was full and he thanked Yoba that, at least while the snow hid them from the rest of the world, she belonged to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close for the remainder of that cold, cold night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you guys like it? i tried to make it flow as best as i could!! thanks for reading :)))


	6. Awkward Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> harper finally introduces herself to someone new

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just finished the outline for the story and im so excited to write it!! now that it's all planned, ill hopefully be updating more often than once a week!!!

**Harper's POV**

Despite the weather report’s broadcast, the blizzard had ended that night and the sun bore down bright the next day, melting Elliott a way home. Harper was sad to see Elliott go, especially after their night together, but she was also relieved to be given time to think about everything. She had, uncharacteristically, made a move on him that she never expected to actually make. Where did that sudden confidence come from? He confessed to her. Why did he confess? How could he possibly have romantic feelings for someone like her? He was amazing, smart, kind, selfless, flawless, sexy…

Okay, maybe the feelings were mutual. But regardless of that, Harper still wasn’t ready for a serious relationship and needed time to work on herself. She knew that it was difficult to accept love, and how can you have a successful relationship if you can’t accept love? She needed to find a therapist. Maybe she’ll ask Harvey if he knows anyone. Well, actually, she should’ve done that a long time ago because it’s been three months since she last had any contact with Elliott. The last time she saw him, she had been his secret gift-giver and she presented him with two brand new duck feather quills at the Feast of the Winter Star.

Harper had been hiding out on her farm again, spending the entirety of her time helping Robin upgrade her coop to house rabbits, build a shed, as well as put in a new sprinkler system. It was a lot of hard work, and before she knew it, it was the day of the egg festival and the only time that she could get strawberry seeds for the whole year. She had promised Elliott that she would attend town events, but if it weren’t for those seeds, she’d honestly be a recluse for another day. Too bad that those seeds made such a profit.

Harper tamed her curls into a thick braid and put on her glasses before hopping back into her boots and making her way down the road. After forty-five minutes of walking, she reached the town square and saw that it was decked out in floral eggy decorations. She spotted Pierre’s stall and jogged over to it.

“Hey! Welcome, Harper. It’s quite a pleasure to see you here at the Egg Festival this year.” Pierre chirped.

Harper grinned awkwardly. “Hey, and thanks. I actually only wanted to grab strawberry seeds and then head home.”

“Aw, that’s a shame considering how long it takes to walk over here. Why not stay to watch the egg hunt? That makes the trip much more worthwhile.”

Harper paused to think before replying. That’s true. It’s pretty hot for a spring day, and she hated to walk all the way up here just to leave immediately. “What the heck. Why not.” 

The man grinned. “Wonderful! Now, how many seed packets can I get you?”

“Thirty, please.”

“That’s a bit much for one girl to water, especially with your cauliflower crops. You sure?”

Harper waved her hand. “Oh yeah, it’s no problem at all. I actually worked with Robin to install a sprinkler system when the snow melted.”

“Well, ain’t that something. Thirty seed packets coming right up!”

Pierre took Harper’s gold and fetched the seeds. She thanked him before stuffing them in her bag and turning to look around for someone she may know or want to talk to. She spotted Elliott over at a table with Leah and Willy and began to make her way to him. She realized her mistake when she approached and Elliott looked at her with discomfort before speaking.

“Ah. Hello, Harper.”

_Uh oh. I forgot that I ghosted him._

“Hey, Elliott. How’s it going?” She attempted to smile at him.

Willy had gotten up and mumbled something about grabbing a glass of punch and Leah stared at Harper with an unreadable expression. Elliott shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m...well. How are you?”

Harper glanced down and picked at her fingers. “I’m okay. Just wanted to come say hi.” She looked back up at Elliott to find him gazing at her sadly. She suddenly felt embarrassed. “Well, I’ll see you later.” 

She gave him a tight-lipped smile and turned, walking far away from the crowd. She felt eyes on her back and she thought she heard Elliott reply, but she ignored him. She settled next to a street lamp behind Emily and Haley’s house and rubbed her face. Yoba, why did she think it would be a good idea to approach him after she fucked him and basically broke his heart? What the hell is wrong with her? Why was she so horrible?

Harper groaned and rubbed her eyes.

“You hiding from the crowd too?” a deep voice asked.

She removed her hands and blinked a few times to clear her vision. Next to her appeared a guy wearing a black hoodie and black skinny jeans. He had dark eyes, a cigarette in his mouth, and some sort of emo haircut that reminded her of high school. She hadn’t even noticed his arrival.

“Y-yeah, I guess.” Harper’s cheeks flushed and she picked at her fingers again, looking down at the ground.

The man must have noticed her sudden nerves. “Don’t worry, I prefer being alone too. I can find my own lamp post if you want.” 

“No, that’s okay. I’m usually alone, so it’s probably for the best that I have some company for once.” She looked up at him. She had seen this guy around at the saloon with the other guy and Pierre’s daughter, so she had assumed this was that group of kids that played in a band. His trio always hung out in the back room of the saloon, listening to their own music and playing games. She never figured out which one was Sam and which one was Sebastian.

He gave her a small half-smile that she found herself staring at for far too long. “Cool. I’ll stay, then. You’re Harper, right? My mom talks about you all the time. I’m Sebastian.” He looked towards the square where Lewis was gathering Sebastian’s friends along with the children for the egg hunt.

“Ohh, so you’re Sebastian. Robin did mention you a few times and I used to see you around the saloon on Fridays. Well, back when I actually left the farm. Now I don’t get out much. Guess that’s why I didn’t know who you were. Lived here a whole year and I’m only just now introducing myself. Not that I didn’t want to introduce myself! I just tend to keep to myself, and I like the solitude of the farm with all the crops, and the chickens, and the ducks...”

Sebastian was looking down at her, trying not to chuckle at her awkwardness while he took a drag of his cigarette. Harper blushed and stopped her rambling, biting her lip and turning towards the egg hunt. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Elliott watching them, his legs crossed and his elbow resting on the table he was seated next to. His fingers were covering his mouth, and Harper’s stomach fluttered at the idea of Elliott being jealous. 

He switched his gaze when Lewis announced that Abigail had won the egg hunt and he joined the crowd in applause. Harper gulped and turned towards Sebastian to speak, but he spoke first. “You should come by the house sometime. My mom would love it, and it might be cool to hang out.”

“Oh. Oh! Yeah, that sounds cool. I’ll drop by sometime.” Harper realized what he was asking and stumbled over her words.

Sebastian chuckled at her and put out his cigarette before shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket and turning towards her. “Well, Abigail looks like she wants to celebrate, so I gotta go. See you later?”

Harper gave a shy smile. “See you later.”

She watched Sebastian join his friends in the square when she saw Elliott cutting through the crowd and heading over the bridge. Harper felt a pit of guilt in her belly for getting so excited by Sebastian. Why would she need a guy to give her attention when Elliott has already told her that he wants her? She needed a therapist quickly. The sooner she sorted her issues out, the sooner she’d get to be with Elliott for real. Remembering her task, she searched the crowd for Harvey, the town doctor. She found him refilling his glass at the food table.

“Hey Harvey?”

He turned around as he sipped. “Ah. Hello, Harper. Nice to see you again. What can I do for you?”

“Do you know any therapists I could see?” Harper glanced around to make sure nobody was listening in.

“Of course. Here, let me jot down their contact information for you.”

“Thanks.”

Harper waited patiently as the doctor took a pen out of his coat pocket and began writing on a nearby napkin. He turned and handed it to her when he was done. “Here you go!”

“Thanks, Harvey. I’ll let you know how it works out.” She smiled at him before putting the napkin in her bag and starting down the path out of town. She got the number for a therapist, met a potential friend, and she got strawberry seeds. Even though it didn’t go well with Elliott, the day was still awesome. She grinned to herself and headed home to plant herself some strawberries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i didnt originally intend to introduce a second love interest, but when i started planning the rest of the story out, it just made so much sense. i hope that doesnt ruin the story for yall, but i promise it's gonna be good! thank yall so much for reading :))))


	7. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> elliott gets a visitor the day of the flower dance :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if my writing style changes in any way. i usually work on these chapters over the course of several days, and some days are more creative than others. hope you like it!

**Elliott’s POV**

Elliott hunched over his desk, words flowing from his quill onto the page. Harper’s absence caused him a monumental amount of pain, especially since he had indulged in his arousal and allowed himself to sleep with her immediately after being rejected, but it had also inspired him to continue writing. He was already halfway through his novel and had begun to search for publishers.

However, seeing Harper for the first time in three months was much stranger than he expected it to be. His heart ached with longing for her, and yet, he had no idea what to say when she approached him at the festival. Seeing her talking and smiling with Sebastian had roused some emotions that he had never felt before, and all he wanted to do was grab her and hold her close while staring that kid in the face and taunting him. He wanted to show everyone that she belonged to him, that nobody else could make her smile that way. But she didn’t belong to him. Really, she had rejected him and then toyed with his emotions by fucking him. He was so confused.

Elliott sighed, dropped his quill, and leaned back into his chair before running his hands through his hair and scratching his scalp. He glanced at the clock and stretched. It was time to get ready for the Flower Dance. He stood from his seat and grabbed the baby blue suit needed for the performance, setting it out on his bed. Just as he started to unbutton his shirt, he heard a knocking on the door. Without asking who it was, he opened the door to find Harper standing there in a pretty little white dress nervously looking up at him.

He was ready to ask her to leave. Just seeing her face made him sad, and he didn’t know if he could handle another painful attempt at conversation.

“Hey,” she said softly.

Oh Yoba, that sweet voice. Maybe it wasn’t all that bad that she stopped by. He did miss her.

“Hello, Harper. How can I help you?”

The girl looked down and twiddled her thumbs. “I was going to ask if you would go with me to the dance.”

Elliott was both shocked and confused. Also giddy. Very giddy.

“Can I come inside?”

“Ah- of course. My apologies,” Elliott croaked and stepped out of the way, opening the door wider so that Harper could step through. He closed the door after her and swept a hand through his hair. “I was just getting ready for the dance myself.”

“Oh, don’t let me stop you. Go ahead.” Harper walked over to the piano and sat down before beginning to play.

Elliott quickly grabbed his things off of the bed and went into his bathroom to finish getting ready. He stared in the mirror after changing, fiddling with the collar of his suit jacket to make sure he looked perfect. Why was he so nervous right now? He gazed at his red face and quietly cursed at himself for being such a hopeless romantic. He grabbed his hairbrush and began to swipe it through his hair to remove any knots or tangles when he heard a knocking on the bathroom door. He hadn’t even noticed that her music stopped. He cracked it open to let Harper know that she was welcome and then went back to brushing his hair. 

She pushed the door open slightly further. “You look really good.” He looked down to see her giving him that precious smile. His stomach flipped.

His gaze returned to the mirror and he mumbled a small ‘thanks’. Her expression in the reflection became searching and troubled. He swallowed and set the brush down. “I’m sorry, Harper.”

She looked up at him with confusion. “Why are you apologizing? I’m the one that hurt you,” she brought her hand up to her chest, “ **I’m** sorry.”

He continued looking at her reflection. “You weren’t the only one to hide. I didn’t follow up either. Also, I knew what I was doing when I agreed to sleep with you. I knew I could handle whatever that entailed.”  _ Lies. _

Harper looked down again. She was doing that a lot and it really bothered Elliott. It was like she had gone back to being the person she was when they first met.

He turned to the girl again and put his hands on either side of her face, tilting her head up to look at him. “Harper. I can handle myself. I said I would wait for you and I meant it.”

Harper’s expression never changed, though, even after Elliott came down and kissed her forehead. He dropped his hands.

“Come on. It’s time for the flower dance.”

…

After trekking through the woods, Harper and Elliott reached a clearing that was decorated with several tables of food and tubs of flower arrangements. Most of the town had already arrived, save for a few faces. Sebastian was nowhere in sight, and while Elliott was glad that he had Harper to himself, he knew that he may lose Harper once Sebastian showed up. For now, he guided her to the drink table by laying a hand on the small of her back. He poured them both glasses of punch, handing one to a visibly anxious Harper. She was looking around at the different people and trembling. Elliott’s heart hurt for her, and he found himself rubbing her back the way he always used to. She looked up at him and smiled before taking a sip.

When Elliott looked up from Harper, he saw a familiar gloomy figure heading their way. He bit his cheek to keep from frowning. Sebastian gave Elliott a quick nod which Elliott returned. 

“Hey, Harper. I didn’t think that you’d show up to this thing.” Sebastian gave Harper a small smile and she blushed. Elliott nearly rolled his eyes.

“Hey! Um, yeah. I thought that it wouldn’t exactly be fair to call the Valley my home and not attend any of the town’s functions,” she excitedly replied and grinned.

Sebastian huffed. “I wouldn’t be here if my mom didn’t force me to come every single year.”

The two continued to talk briefly while Elliott stood on the sidelines. How did he end up a third wheel when this girl was the one who invited him? This guy was practically a teenager and here he was flirting with the girl of Elliott’s dreams. Elliott distracted himself by looking around and taking in his surroundings. Leah was over at the river by herself and Willy was talking to some of the older villagers. Maybe he could go and join one of them.

“I was thinking. Want to ditch this place with me after the performance? My friends and I are gonna chill back at Sam’s for a jam session.”

Elliott was sucked from his distractions when he heard Sebastian’s proposition. Hold on a second. Harper asked Elliott to accompany her today, not Sebastian. Elliott set his drink down on the table and turned back towards the conversation. 

“I’d-”

“Harper will be dancing after the performance. With me,” Elliott interrupted and answered, looping an arm around Harper’s waist. She looked up at him in surprise and Sebastian just stared at Elliott with a tight-lipped smile.

“I was asking Harper.”

Harper’s face was completely flushed and she looked between the two men. She hesitated before speaking. “I….yeah. Sorry, I already planned to spend the day with Elliott. Another time, though?” She gave Sebastian another shy smile.

He shrugged. “Sure. See you guys later.” He waved and walked away.

The two watched Sebastian leave before Harper turned to face Elliott, a shocked grin on her face. “You’re so jealous!”

Elliott grinned back and shoved his hands into his pockets, standing tall. “I do not know what you’re talking about, young lady.” He chuckled at her.

She gave him a gentle shove before crossing her arms. She smiled up at him with that wonderful, wonderful smile. Elliott gazed back down at her, trying to fathom how beautiful she was when Lewis called for the dancers to gather in the clearing.

“I’ll see you in just a moment.” He gave her a slight nod before leaving.

…

The flower dance went just as well as ever, save for the constant passing glances between Sebastian and Harper, and soon enough the floor was open to everyone. Elliott walked towards Harper, who was shuffling anxiously on the sidelines.

He held out a hand and bowed slightly in exaggerated couth. “My lady.”

Harper grinned sheepishly and took his hand, following close behind as Elliott as he led her to the floor. Keeping one hand in hers, he laid the other on her waist and pulled her close. She set her other hand on his shoulder and clumsily attempted to synch up with his footwork.

“Elliott, I haven’t danced in a long time,” she admitted.

“That’s quite alright, we can keep it simple,” he replied, smiling down at her. She blushed and looked down to watch their feet beginning to move in tandem. Giggling, she met his eyes with a grin.

“Harper, you are truly stunning.” He smiled at her and she laughed, dismissing the compliment.

Together, they swayed peacefully through several songs. Other couples were piling into the clearing to dance: Robin and Demetrius, Lewis and Marnie, Alex and Haley, Leah and Emily, and even little Vincent and Jas were jumping around somewhere. Elliott scanned the crowd and spotted Sebastian looking back in their direction before he walked away from the festivities with his friends. Elliott only stared.

“Elliott?” she asked softly.

Elliott blinked and was pulled back to his partner. “Yes?”

“I really am sorry for the way I disappeared. I care about you a lot, and I never wanted to hurt you,” Harper’s voice broke.

He quickly stopped swaying and went to cup her cheeks. He didn’t know how to respond considering that what had happened actually hurt him quite a bit, but he did know that he cherished the woman in front of him more than any other person in his life at the moment. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest, rubbing her back.

“It was difficult, yes, but what hurts the most is not seeing you. I don’t give a damn what you do or do not feel for me; I miss seeing you more than anything.”

Harper sniffled and Elliott continued quietly, “We can forget about that night if you’d like. If that is what’s standing in the way of our friendship, then I want it to go away.”

She looked up at him, confused. “I never want to forget that night.”

Elliott felt a lump in his throat and he swallowed. He pulled her back to his chest and held her, petting her hair. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and began to sway again. Why did he want to cry all of a sudden??

“It’s not fair for me to ask you to wait, but I promise that I’ll be ready for you someday.” She squeezed him and began to cry. “I’m sorry that I fuck things up.”

Holding her petite body in his arms and feeling her tremble with sobs ignited something inside of Elliott. He didn’t care that they couldn’t be together right now. As long as there was a chance someday, he could wait. He could wait until the end of time for this girl. He squeezed in return and kept rubbing her back, hoping that he wouldn’t cry as well.

They danced for another short while after their emotional discussion, and when they pulled apart, Elliott was careful to wipe any mascara off of her cheeks. They found seats with Leah and Willy where they chatted and laughed together for a few hours. Leah and Harper seemed to be getting along swimmingly, and Elliott was overjoyed. Before they knew it, the sun had nearly disappeared from the sky and Lewis was announcing that they’d be breaking out the sparklers. Leah grabbed Harper’s hand and the two excitedly ran over to the mayor.

Just as the sun disappeared over the horizon and painted the sky, everyone lit their sparklers. Laughter and clapping overcame the townsfolk as the people began to wave the tiny fireworks around. Elliott rose from his seat and dove into the crowd, finding Harper joyously fluttering two sparklers around alongside her new friend, the pale light illuminating her features.

Yoba, was she a sight. She had let her curls loose and had placed a daffodil behind her ear. Her white dress had a lace mock collar and long, puffy sleeves that floated with every movement. She wore nude hose and a pair of tan flats, and underneath her glasses were delicate, feathery lashes that had been curled and colored with whatever mascara remained. Her natural blush painted her cheeks and accentuated the freckles that adorned her face. She oozed radiance that glowed brighter every time she had that heart-melting smile, any sadness from earlier disappearing.

Elliott swore that he may have fallen in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you guys think??? leave me a comment with any thoughts on the story or constructive criticism, it is always welcome!! and as always, thanks for reading :)


	8. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harper spends the day with her new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! im so sorry for not updating in a while. my family is having some problems rn and i wanted to spend more time with my sister before i went back to college. this isnt the best chapter, and im DEFINITELY going to have to go back and edit, but i wanted to expand on her growing friendship with sebastian. poor boy doesnt get that harper isnt that into him :/// anyways, enjoy!!!

**Harper’s POV**

Harper hiked up the mountain path, lazily kicking stones out of her way. Summer had begun, and with it came sweltering heatwaves and an abundance of cash crops; she was up to her neck in work on most days. Today, however, was not like most days. She had agreed to finally go over to hang out with Sebastian and had woken up even earlier than usual in order to finish the farm work by noon, clearing up the rest of her day for socializing. 

She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked out ahead of her. The idea of making new friends was exciting, and this whole Sebastian thing seemed really promising. Harper had never been skilled at making friends, but for once in her life, people seemed to be interested in her. She was finally starting to feel like she was becoming a part of the community.

After hiking for another half mile, Robin’s house was finally in view. As Harper approached, she noticed the garage door open and Sebastian working on a motorcycle inside. 

“Hey, Sebastian. Something wrong with your bike?”

Sebastian rolled out from under the machine, sporting a black sleeveless tee and a headband to push his long bangs out of his face. He somehow looked more masculine. Harper stiffened.

“Hey, you’re finally here,” he stood from the ground and smirked at Harper’s tinted cheeks, “No, nothing’s wrong with it. I was giving it a tune-up because I was hoping you’d let me give you a ride today.”

Harper swallowed. “Me? On a motorcycle?”

He gave her a devilish grin and crossed his arms. “Are you scared?”

“No….” Harper trailed off. She picked at her fingers and looked away.

The room got awkwardly quiet, and Harper realized that Sebastian was looking at her with that mischievous smile. A moment later, he let out a low chuckle before speaking.

“It’s okay, I’m just teasing you. But seriously, I promise that it’ll be perfectly safe. All you have to do is hold on tight, wear your helmet, and trust me. Besides, it’s pretty hot out there and this would definitely cool you down after a long day of work.” Sebastian turned to the workbench behind him and grabbed two helmets, holding one out for Harper. “What do you say?”

Harper took the helmet, hands trembling. She gave him a small smile.

“Cool.” Sebastian gave a genuine smile and Harper’s fears melted away.

He then hopped onto the bike, started the engine, and motioned for Harper to take the seat behind him. The two put their helmets on before Harper cautiously straddled the seat, scooting close and loosely wrapping her arms around his torso. Sebastian then backed them out of the garage and voiced a faint ‘hold on tight’ before starting forward with a jolt. Harper squeaked and grabbed Sebastian tight, eliciting a laugh from the man. Harper gazed around them as they sped down the dirt road and past the trees, enamored with the sense of freedom building inside of her. She smiled to herself, subconsciously squeezing Sebastian.

They rode down dirt paths until they reached the interstate, which paved through a valley clearing with mountains on either side, bordering them like giants watching a string of ants. Harper breathlessly marveled at the scenery. She had ridden through here on the bus, but it could never compare to the feeling of the open air on her skin as the mountains strolled by. After several minutes, they exited the interstate onto a small road that led up through the mountains. The forest reappeared alongside a myriad of small cliffs and white rapid rivers, a sight that distracted Harper from the half-hour long trek Sebastian took them on.

The bike slowed to a stop as they pulled into an overlook. Sebastian turned the machine off and set the kickstand before climbing off. He then turned and took Harper’s hand, helping her climb back over the seat and onto solid ground. Her shoe got caught on the seat, making her fall into Sebastian’s chest. He caught her and laughed.

She looked up at him and smiled, embarrassed. “Sorry. Thanks.”

“Not a problem.”

He was looking at her in a way that altogether confused Harper and made her stomach flip. She gently pushed out of his arms and smiled awkwardly at him. 

He seemed unfazed. “Come on” He stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket and nodded over to a picnic table. 

Harper followed him to the table that looked over the Valley. She sat cross-legged on a bench and Sebastian sat on top of the table, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Harper looked out over the road below, staring at the cars while Sebastian smoked. They sat in silence for nearly an hour before Sebastian spoke up.

“I feel so suffocated at home. More often than not, I find myself escaping to these overlooks. They remind me that the world is much bigger than Pelican Town and that someday, maybe I can get out. Away from Demetrius and that house.”

Harper continued to look ahead. “Sometimes I think the world is too big. Even Pelican Town feels too big sometimes. That’s why I stay at home all the time.”

She turned to him. “But being out here? It’s the first time in a long time that feeling so small and insignificant felt like a good thing.” She smiled at Sebastian. “I believe in you. You’ll make something of yourself and go somewhere where you’re happy.”

Sebastian gazed at her with an unreadable expression. “I hope you’re right.”

He turned back to the horizon. “I wanted to talk to you for a long time, Harper. I’m glad that I finally got the courage to walk up to you at the Egg Festival. You’re a cool friend.”

Harper grinned. “Did you just call me your friend?”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and grinned back, still facing forward. “I guess I might’ve said that.”

Harper bit her lip and looked forward. “I’ve never had many friends,” she mumbled.

Sebastian took one last drag of his cigarette before standing up and putting it out. “Well, you have friends now. Myself included.” She smiled and he took her hand, pulling her up before leading her back to the bike.

“Let’s get back home. Mom will kill me if I’m not home for dinner on spaghetti night.”

…

The ride home was just as peaceful as the ride in, making Harper the slightest bit sleepy. She ended up laying her helmeted head against Sebastian’s back and gripping him tightly the whole ride. Robin was closing up shop as they pulled up and walked through the door. 

“Hey, guys. Have a nice ride?”

“Yeah, mom,” Sebastian replied.

“Yes, ma’am,” Harper replied.

Robin grinned. “Well, I’m glad. And you guys made it just in time for me to start on dinner. Will you be staying, Harper?”

Sebastian turned to the girl and smiled, awaiting her answer. Harper blushed at the attention.

“I wasn’t planning on staying, but I’d like to if it’s okay,” she answered nervously.

Robin walked out from behind the counter, heading towards the hallway. “Great! You can hang out with Sebby for the time being and I’ll call you guys when dinner is ready.”

They both replied with an ‘okay’ before Sebastian showed Harper down to his basement bedroom. He opened the door and held it open for Harper before closing it behind her.

“Welcome to my dungeon. Anything you want to do to pass the time?”

Harper looked around in awe of how clean everything was. Not only was it spotless, but it barely smelled like a boy. Pretty surprising, considering that Sebastian seldom left his room. She spotted the small tv sitting on the shelf at the foot of Sebastian’s bed.

“TV?”

“Sure.”

The two walked over to Sebastian’s bed, sitting on it and resting against the headboard. There was an awkward amount of space between them, and Harper found herself feeling tense. Sebastian was a good-looking guy, but she didn’t exactly like him enough to be cuddling up on his bed. Seeing as the only other seating was across the room, she had no option but to sit on the bed with him if she wanted to be semi-comfortable. She couldn’t help but think about how much more comfortable she’d feel if he were Elliott instead.

Sebastian turned the tv to a sci-fi movie and settled, mindlessly laying an arm on the headboard behind Harper. It wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been, she figured.

Forty-five minutes into the movie, however, his arm had made its way around her and his hand rested on the curve of her waist, pulling her close. This was about as bad as she’d expected, actually. She thought back and forth, considering how she would turn him down or move away. Just the thought of confrontation made her jaw clench and her breathing quicken. Just then, Robin was knocking on the door.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Harper practically jumped off of the bed and out of Sebastian’s grasp.

“Whoo, I’m starving,” she said awkwardly with unease.

Sebastian also climbed off of the bed. “Me too.”

…

Dinner passed by uncomfortably. Demetrius had made comments about Sebastian’s work pretty early on, which led to snarky comebacks from Sebastian, which then led to a screaming match between the man and his stepson. When Robin finally intervened, Sebastian threw his fork down and grabbed Harper’s hand, pulling her from her seat and out of the room. He led her outside and didn’t let go of her hand until they were already halfway to her farm.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Harper replied quietly. “Is dinner always like that for you?”

“Not every night. Then again, I usually take dinner to my room. Mom likes to eat as a family on spaghetti night, though. It’s her favorite,” he replied shortly.

The rest of the walk was silent, so Harper chose to listen to the frogs and cicadas instead. As much as she hated Summer, it was pretty peaceful.

“I want to escape so badly,” Sebastian broke the silence.

Harper took a moment to think. “You will someday. Your job and your lifestyle are valid. You’ll make it out of your prison.”

They approached the north gate without speaking another word. She opened it and he escorted her towards her porch. Sebastian was walking slightly ahead of Harper, so she couldn’t see his face. She wondered if he cried.

“Here you go,” he said as they reached the porch stairs.

He turned to her and she noticed that one of his cheeks was wet.  _ Guess he does cry, _ she thought.

She reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Sebastian, I promise you that I believe in you. You’re a wonderful, kind, hard-working person and you will make it out of here.”

He gave her a tight-lipped smile before pulling her in and squeezing her tight.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

He held her for what seemed like an eternity before letting her go.

“I’ll see you later. Thanks for spending the afternoon with me.”

“Bye, Sebastian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i figured that sebastian probably has a couple hideouts in-between pelican town and zuzu, so of course he didnt take her to the special spot. that lookout is for whoever he falls in love with!!! i hope you guys enjoyed it. we'll be back to elliott next week :))


End file.
